The three bowls ride is the finest example of Sorata-style cross-country riding, It's a fun day out, climbing mountains, dropping scree chutes and railing fast and flowing trail. Starting from the Paso Chuchu launching pad (4,750 mts), this route requires you to traverse across 3 upper bowls that face down the backside of the pass. Ancient glaciers scooped them out, they now have a warm, windless microclimate making for t-shirt weather on most days. The rider climbs up to the top of the peak at the back of the first bowl, then drops the scree down into basin number two. The second bowl has a nice upper traverse with airs into a chute. Then it's a hard climb up to the 3rd bowl. This one you can pedal across, then you have the final push up to the crest of the main spine of the northern Cordillera Real. Here it's nice to have a cup of tea and contemplate the web of scree chutes that initiates the 2,200 mtr. descent down into Sorata.
Climbing out of bowl #1. Chuchu launching pad above rear wheel.
Dropping into bowl number two.
Across the third bowl, then up the final push.
Now comes the twisted descent to Sorata.
Through the chutes,
and down into the rolling ridges, where you can carve big turns and boost to your heart's content.
The lead llama keeps watch over Laguna Illampu.
A braided trail connects the laguna with the village of Lakatya. From there down to Sorata we ride
the ancient trail that connected Sorata with the gold fields of the Rio Tipuani, the Camino del Oro.
One part is wide, smooth, but with several hundred meter drop off the side.
The rest is fast and flowing, and is a fine finish to a ride that is freeride gold.
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